40 ASSOCIATION OF IRON, STEEL AND TIN WORKERS [1/2 



rate unions of German members arose in the early societies. 

 In 1872 the national president of the Vulcans suggested the 

 estabHshment of a German branch and the creation of a 

 national official to issue charters to German forges. The 

 .delegates, particularly those of German origin, opposed the 

 movement, and Julius Arnd refused to accept the presi- 

 dency of such a branch, if established, on the ground that 

 it was not " necessary."^ In 1874 there was a similar agita- 

 tion among the Roll Hands to grant separate charters to 

 German local lodges, but no action was taken. It was de- 

 cided, however, to have two hundred copies of the consti- 

 tution and by-laws printed in the German language. The 

 Roll Hands at no time had more than five hundred mem- 

 bers, so it is apparent that a considerable percentage of their 

 membership was German-speaking.' 



The policy of the union has been to divide the larger local 

 organizations on the basis of trade. In the early history 

 of the union, when the local societies were small, no such 

 regulation was necessary. But, as the local societies grew 

 in size, it was found expedient for the boilers to be in one 

 local union, the finishers in another, and the steel workers 

 in a third. In 1883. for example, the finishers complained 

 that they were not adequately represented in tire annual 

 meeting, and threatened to secede. The establishment of 

 separate unions of fini.shers and of boilers put an end to 

 this growing dissatisfaction. Applicants for admission to 

 membership in the union were required to join the lodge 

 governing the trade in which they were employed. The 

 same rule applied to members who took out traveling cards 

 and moved from one locality to another. Such a member 

 must deposit his card in the local union in whose jurisdic- 

 tion he was to work. In 1891 a further subdivision was 

 made, providing for separate subordinate lodges for ton- 

 nage men and men working by the day or by the hour.^ 



2 Vulcan Record, vol. i, no. 10, p. 22. 



3 Proceedings, Iron and Steel Roll Hands, 1874, p. 25. 

 * Constitution, 1891, art. 23, sec. i. 



